Those of us who fish competitively do a lot of things to stack the odds in our favor. We learn new lures and techniques. We read articles in magazines and on the internet about tournament tactics. We have thousands of baits, thousands of dollars worth of rods and reels, $50,000 boats and enough electronics to command the space shuttle, but does that make us win tournaments? While I'd argue that knowing your lures and techniques, and having good tackle and equipment are an important part of the puzzle, there is still something missing. How do you take all of that tackle, equipment and knowledge and translate it into success?

In my opinion, one of the biggest missing pieces of the puzzle is understanding the mental aspect of tournament fishing. This is something that, to my knowledge, has never been explored or taught in much detail. Think about it, whether you fish in a bass club, regional draw tournaments, or professionally, why do the same guys seemingly always end up at the top of the leaderboard? Can they cast better than everyone else? Do they have different electronics or a different boat? Different lures? If you believe all of that is what makes winners, you are falling into the trap that all of the tackle and equipment companies set. The truth is that winners make good decisions. They take the data available to them and make choices during their practice and tournament days that make the difference.

My academic training is in science. During my work toward my Ph.D., I learned to analyze data and draw conclusions. This has served me very well in tournament fishing. As a scientist, you control as many variables as possible to get the desired outcome. Additionally, you assess the data that you do have statistically to predict the most likely results. Tournament fishing is nothing more than a large set of variables. Some you can control, some you can't. If we learn to better control the variables and better predict the outcomes, the likelihood that we will achieve the desired result goes up considerably. Ever see the movie Moneyball? The nerd statistician figures out how to form a winning baseball team based on mathematical probabilities.

I am not suggesting that success in tournament fishing can be achieved based solely on a scientific approach, but what I do know is that this approach will undoubtedly increase the likelihood of success. My course will be called: Next Level Tournament Fishing. If you attend and put these tools into practice, I guarantee that you will be much more successful in cashing checks, catching bass consistently, finishing higher in points, and winning events. It's the mental side of fishing. This is a graduate course on tournament fishing.

I am going to offer this course on Sunday afternoon, March 16, 2014 at Clark Marine in Franklin, TN. The seminar will begin at 1:00PM. Admission is $200. The course will be four hours with plenty of time for questions and discussion. Dinner is included. I have some great sponsors for this event including: All Pro Rods, Carlisle Tires, Royal Purple Oil, ORCA Coolers, Brent Anderson Fishing, and Clark Marine. I am adding more daily. Door prizes will include All Pro fishing rods, oil, Carlisle tires, a guide trip with Brent Anderson and more.

Click the Paypal link to secure your admission. I'll send you a confirmation email with directions. If you would rather send a check, send to:

Dr. David Gnewikow808 N Mt. Juliet RdMt. Juliet, TN 37122

Please include an email so that I can send a confirmation.

Please feel free to email me: docg@hearlife.org with any other questions.